hey! let's talk about...

[gretagarbo]

Hey sociology phd applicants!

 

I would like to raise a very simple question that we can discuss while waiting for the admissions: Why do you want to have a graduate degree in sociology? What courses/ life experiences etc. influenced your choice? What sociological subjects or research fields interest you the most and why? And what sort of an attachment do you have to sociological inquiry: love, curiosity, calculated/informed professional interest, or something else?

 

I am particularly interested in discussing how to decide studying sociology in the graduate school and not other social sciences or humanities. I mean in today's academia, especially in the social sciences, the traditional disciplinary boundaries are no longer held as strongly as they once were. There are various research subjects and fields that intersect with other disciplines, so it is difficult to discern which discipline is more relevent to your intellectual inquiries. Even if there are interdisciplinary programs out there, I think studying in a traditional, well-established discipline has its own benefits (especially in today's academic labor market) and therefore, most people fell that they have to decide among these disciplines. What do you think about this isssue? Have you personally faced this difficulty before and if so, how did you resolve it? 

[jdsoc28]

What a great topic!

 

 I think that there is a lot to be said for looking at methodology.  While I agree that the interdisciplinary shift has made the disciplines more open, particularly in terms of topics studied, there are historical reasons for the research methods that are favored in particular fields.  Sociology relies heavily on statistics, even for people who plan to use "qualitative" methods (i.e., survey, comparative historical, etcetera).  By contrast, economics has heavily favored formal analytical/mathematical modeling.   Anthropology (the socio-cultural track) is less quantitative as a rule than sociology with an emphasis on ethnography and fieldwork, but to this outsider even the sociocultural track at least appears receptive to the incorporation of explicitly ecological and environmental science models. 

 

 I am applying to programs beginning this fall, and this is an issue that I am sorting through.  The "fit" does sometimes vary by program and/or institution; I could easily imagine myself falling into fields outside sociology if the sequence of study is flexible enough.  The reality is that what I want to do also requires some legal training, which I already have, and beyond that I suspect that the subject, broadly conceived,  could fall into either sociology or even another field.  Some I can rule out based on prior training and experience.  I know from the courses that I have taken in economics that a) it would require too much advanced mathematical training in before enrollment and the field has a focus that is too narrow and theoretically restrictive.  I am ruling out political science because I do not think that it is broad enough to encompass subjects that will sustain my interest, and I am not wild about its methodology.   

 

  Finally, my interests are at the intersection of sociology, law and economics, and in that particular intersection sociology is really the only viable discipline.  Empirical analysis in the law is very (you might say extraordinarily) weak and the trajectory for studying the law in and of itself, beyond the JD, is unclear to say the least.  I'm very familiar with "law and economics" and not at all interested in that direction.  On the other hand, the political economy, economic sociology/organizations and collective movement traditions in sociology are a good fit for the subject matter.   

[das]

Why sociology? Because it enables the best blend of every kind of research question one could pose, from the mundane to the profound; it is multimethod and nimble; it is broad and theoretically rich; and it enables one to seek solutions and social change.

 

Why a discipline? Because while the world may not actually be carved up into disciplines, academia still is, and because departments still privilege their own. Soc Depts prioritize applications from Soc PhDs and so on. Having training in a broad discipline like Soc is a good thing - applicable to non-academic settings, careers, etc as well. But if you want to be a professor, best to have disciplinary training (for the foreseeable future, anyway).

[turbodream]

Good questions! Thanks for asking! I imagine when I start my PhD program in the Fall I'll be needing to answers to these questions concisely and often. I might as well start practicing.

 

Why sociology? - I am interested in examining the world's challenges from the perspective of society (how society creates problems to how society reacts and solves problems). Social theory allows us to piece together frameworks to envision critical social progress. Like Das said... it is a discipline intimately tied to social change and solutions. In addition, the most inspiring mentors I have worked with were mostly sociologists. I identified with their worldviews and ideological sensibilities so I figured it was a discipline I should take a long look at. Also, we are living in a time of EXTREME social change (i.e. globalization, internet, climate change); therefore, I believe that sociology promises a very interesting career at the least. 

 

Why not humanities? - I got my BA in English and, by the time I was done, I was bored with critiquing literature and other texts and wanted to apply the critical thinking skills and all the theory I learned to 'real life' topics. In other words... I used to be like: "look how this theory is present in yada yada text and it is relevant because blah blah blah" / And now I'm like: "look how that theory is relevant to so and so place due to something something and here is a pile of evidence to support that inference"

 

Research fields: Political Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Economic Sociology, and Globalization

 

Attachment to the field: Curious about why humans continue to create so many of their own problems. Also professional because I want to teach, and teaching/researching in sociology is the best fit for me.

[pinoysoc]

Why do you want to have a graduate degree in sociology?

To be honest, I had no idea what Sociology was when I started college. All I knew was that my friend's sister went on field school in Bali and I wanted to go! But when I switched my major after my first semester, I FELL IN LOVE. I want to pursue Sociology because it was an academic field that I was able to relate to. Not only that, but it answered all the questions I had while growing up. Coming from a U.S. Territory in the Pacific, Sociology really opened my eyes to how things work. My professors here love sociology so much that they've influenced me to pursue a PhD in sociology and teach and do research!

 

What courses/ life experiences etc. influenced your choice?

A few courses from my university that made an impact were my Human Ecology and Community Development courses! Of course, the Community Development gave me the chance to go to a field school in Bali, but it also taught me the most! The Human Ecology also made a big difference because it really challenged me to look at what's happening in society today. As for life experiences, I think it was my move from the Philippines to Guam opened my sociological imagination! Lol.

 

What sociological subjects or research fields interest you the most and why?

Development Sociology, Sociology of Religion, Globalization, Social Movements. Personally, all of these are linked together intrinsically. These are the sub-fields that I really made me pay close attention to everyday life!

 

And what sort of an attachment do you have to sociological inquiry: love, curiosity, calculated/informed professional interest, or something else?

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Just being trained in Sociology to do research and have the chance to teach it is a once-in-a-lifetime journey!!!!!!!